Secrets of Time
by Aerial Fin
Summary: The story of three children transported without apparent reason to Neverland. Who knows what may await them there?
1. Chapter 1

JT/SD: This is our new attempt; because the first one sucked so badly we almost had an aneurism. Yes, a collective aneurism. It can happen.

Anyway, hopefully you will enjoy this fic. Please review once you've read it—that way we can make it better maybe the first one sucked because NO ONE TOLD US IT SUCKED. For the most part, Jem writes for Tam, Aerial writes for Akil, and Samoso is a conglomerated effort.

--

Tam was the school's biggest discipline case. She had been fine up through grade school, but soon as she had hit sixth grade, something happened. She started becoming increasingly defiant, not doing her homework, and just generally causing trouble.

She had lost her parents when she was only 6 years old, and in first grade. But at this time, her life continued on normally, or as normally as it could. She was passed to a foster family in the same area she had been living in before, so she didn't have to transfer schools.

And then sixth grade hit. There was no real explanation for what happened to her. Some people attributed it to her parents' death—maybe she was finally finding out how much she missed them. But overall, no one knew the real problem.

Except for her. She knew, obviously. But it's not like she had anyone to tell. No friends, not since she had changed. And no family, clearly. Her foster family was nice, but not the kind of people she'd go tell her problems to, really. She was on her own.

It was a particularly bad day for Tam when she was taken away to Neverland. She had received a number of detentions, successfully booking her time after school for the next two months. She didn't even _want_ to think about it. At the same time, hadn't her teachers learned that detention didn't work on her? Adults were just stupid that way.

Her least favorite teacher, Mr. Maclow, had been particularly nasty and given her no less than three detentions that day, mostly for insubordination. After the third slip, she just decided to walk out of the classroom, and that was exactly what she did. She stalked up, took her slip, and stomped out of the room, deciding then and there she'd never come back.

She ran through the main hall of the school, knowing no one would try to stop her. This was Tam, after all—and it seemed almost everyone was scared of her. Racing through the front doors, she breathed a sigh of relief at her decision. She was going to be on her own from now on, but how different was that?

And it was then that it started to happen. She felt herself being lifted off the stairs of the school. She shouted out, but no one seemed to see or hear her. Suddenly, the world blurred, shifting into the silhouette of a single star that then kaleidoscoped into a thousand different bits of color. She was gripped with terror, not sure what was happening, all sense of elation at her freedom lost. And then, at the last second, as she felt herself speeding through space, she felt herself lose consciousness.

--

A tall, gangly silhouette stood out against the stark barrenness of the plains. A hot wind whipped the draped clothes the boy wore, churning the faded fabric around his thin form. He stopped beneath a straggling tree, looking up at its thin, pathetic branches. Frowning lightly, he put his small brown hand against the rather withered trunk and closed his eyes.

A few moments passed, and only the thick, tall grasses moved, whispering in the slight wind. Suddenly, a greenish glitter started to appear at his fingertips. The flow strengthened, defining itself in a stream into the dying tree. The flow didn't stop, but the tree began to change – the leaves filling out and turning green from brown. The trunk grew straighter, larger, the branches straighter and longer.

The boy opened his eyes, revealing dark blue irises hidden before by the delicate chocolate lids. A grin split his face, and white teeth flashed in the African sunlight. Turning, he began walking away. The leaves on the tree rustled, though the wind had stilled. The grin widened.

"You're welcome," the boy said to no one anyone else could hear, and continued on his way.

Akil had always been a quiet child, even growing up with the other rambunctious children in his tribe. His family had survived on the plains of Africa for generations, and was thriving. His father, a prominent hunter in the tribe, was not often at home, and had no time for a boy of 10. After his mother died of a wasting fever, Akil had been fostered with a family with a young girl about his age. For a time, Akil was as happy as he had ever been.

But one day all of that changed. Akil had been playing with the other children when they stopped to rest under a tree. Under the branches, Akil stumbled across a clearly dying flower amongst the grass. Bending down, he reached out to the brown, wilted thing, sorrowful for the death of something so vibrant and alive. When he touched the plant, a fierce tingle jolted up his arm, and his fingers began to glow with a green light. Akil cried out, and jerked back, and the glow died. Calling the other children over, he touched the plant again, letting the contact remain. The plant began to grow until it was once again a healthy blossom.

From there, Akil's situation worsened by far. Upon return to the village, he showed the elders and the rest of his tribe his newfound power. But instead of being congratulated and celebrated, the people he knew and loved exiled him, under the hopes that he and his alien ability would shrivel and, like that flower would have, die.

It had been four years, and Akil had survived through his access to the world of plants. He had traveled far and wide across the plains, and had explored the limits and expanses of his powers. He could communicate and heal plants, and they would help him in times of need, as he would them.

After his run-in with the dying tree, Akil continued on his way. Yet after a short while, an odd sight gave him cause to stop. Two trees stood in his path, with their branches intertwined to form a gateway, with the almost defined shape of a star within the branches. Akil tipped his head at the strange sight, and paused. After a moment, Akil grinned a small, crooked grin and stepped calmly between the two trunks.

Suddenly the world blurred. No longer were there the arid plains of Africa, but a swirling space, and Akil hurtling through it, alone. An incredible pressure crushed him from all sides, forcing the air from his lungs, and keeping him from moving or shouting out. The spinning colors swam in front of his eyes, and the last thing he saw was a brilliant star growing larger and larger before he lost consciousness.

--

Samoso was a shy boy of few words. He was, impossibly, born in Neverland, and aged until he was thirteen in the real world. He never really knew his parents, but they must have been something special. Sam was always a little odd, his pale skin tinged a sparkling blue topped by wild, green hair that came down to his earlobe and no further. He had bright, intelligent-looking purple eyes that always seemed just a little too large for his face. Sam was a slight boy, and short on top of that, leaving him target of bullying in the real world.

Neverland was his refuge, the place where he always felt at home. No one teased him there. Unfortunately, his parents—whoever they were—didn't allow him to come back very often. They were afraid that others would notice he wasn't getting older like the rest of them, which was important in his early years. But Sam didn't want to live in a world of concrete and glass. He knew that one way or another, he would have to go to Neverland and stay there, sooner or later.

It was one day after school, on his way home, that he decided this world wasn't the one for him. He didn't hear the footsteps behind him until it was too late. Then his knees had already hit the wet pavement, the dampness soaking through his clothes to his skin. Behind him, he heard the familiar voices of his tormenters.

"All right, ten points!" one of them cheered.

"Good shot, Josh," another one called.

Sam sat there, not daring to get up or turn around. By now he knew their tactics—the moment he stood up, they'd hit him harder, until he was down for good. If they thought they had him on the first try, they were more likely not to try again.

A foot planted itself on his back, pushing until he felt the pavement against his forehead. He still tried to keep still, not to react.

"Nah, it's not worth it anymore," one said. "Seems like he's down for the count. He's not going anywhere for a while."

Sam closed his eyes, waiting to hear them leave.

Their footsteps receded and then, faded. He breathed a sigh of relief.

He stood up, not even bothering to dust off his knees. The marks would be there for a while, especially if the bullies had anything to say about it. He wished they would just leave them alone.

He continued along the alley for a bit, when he saw a door. It was open, which was odd on a day that could warrant rain at any time. He walked up to it, figuring that the least he could do was close it.

"Hello?" he called in, but no one answered. It seemed dark, but he could see something glittering inside, which caught his attention.

He tried again. "Hello?" Still, there was no answer.

The glittering object seemed to flash and dance, almost in the shape of a star. It seemed to be calling him, in a way. One last time he called into the darkened room, but, of course, it was still silent. He stepped through the entryway, carefully, against his better judgment.

The door swung shut behind him, leaving him in complete darkness, except for the object in front of him, which was slowly growing in size, coming towards him, yet seeming to shed no more light than it had a first.

He reached out toward the shimmering object, and felt his hand brush against it. He was immediately plunged into darkness and knew no more.

--

JT: Well, hope you enjoyed it. And even if you didn't, you read it. Ha. So here's a reminder: review, please!

SD: Review or die! MUWAHAHAHA. Hope you like the story, I know there's not really any connection to canon yet except for frequent Neverland references, but that's okay really! Keep reading, and I'll draw some pictures of the characters. You'll know when I'm finished. Byeas for now!


	2. Chapter 2

JT/SD: A whole new chapter, whoopee

JT/AF: A whole new chapter, whoopee! We hope you enjoyed the last one, and will enjoy this one just as much. As always, please review once you're done reading so we can improve the fic for the readers that's you, of course!.

--

Tam woke up slightly dazed, not really sure what had just happened to her. She vaguely remembered leaving the school, being lifted up off the sidewalk, and then everything went black.

She looked around, hoping to see something familiar. Unfortunately, that was not to be. She was surrounded by white sand, warm against her skin. It met clear, blue water several feet ahead of her. The waves lapped peacefully against it. The whole effect was very calming, but at the same time, it frightened her that she didn't know where she was.

At length, she stood, aimlessly walking wherever her feet took her. She left the water behind, and eventually reached several green trees, which seemed to border the beach. Still, there was no recognition for her. Nothing she knew.

She had never felt this alone before, but it wasn't completely unpleasant. Even though she didn't know this place, she liked it. She wished she could stay there forever, but she knew she'd have to find her way back to civilization somehow. She regretfully stepped into the shade of the forest, reluctant to leave the serenity of the beach. But the forest held the same silence and comfort, she realized as she stepped further onto a carpet of undergrowth.

Tam had been walking for some time when her stomach began to growl, and, remembering the sandwich that was going to be her school lunch; she removed it from her backpack. Lazily she leaned against a nearby tree, soaking in the green-tinged sunlight.

It never occurred to her that she might need to save some of her food to eat later, so she polished off the entire lunch, crunching loudly on the chips that were the sandwich's companions. When she had finished them all, she put her garbage back into her backpack and set off in search of water. After having eaten such a salty snack, she was parched.

After a bit of wandering, she reached a small stream, whose water flowed so clear and blue, she could see the bottom clearly. She drank her fill, then stood up and looked around. Once again she was feeling shockingly alone, seeing that no one was around to stop her from doing this. The same sense of peace set in moments later, however, once again putting her at ease.

She continued walking, still aimlessly, not sure if she really wanted to leave the forest at all. Occasionally, she brushed her head against low branches, her height being her only real obstacle out here. She had hard, brown eyes that stemmed from her mother. Her chestnut hair barely hit her shoulder blades, with a slight curl at the end. She had begun to develop a bit earlier than most girls, but still in no way had full breasts. She was lean but powerful-looking, a characteristic that came from her eyes alone. Unremarkable clothes, a T-shirt and jeans, covered her body. On her back, of course, was her backpack; black, and stuffed full of papers and books.

Tam estimated it had been about an hour since she had woken up on the beach. She wondered what time it was, how long she had been out for. It seemed like it was the early afternoon, from the placement of the sun as it filtered through the trees, but she couldn't be sure.

It was then, when she was looking up at the sky, that she bumped into something. It was a sort of low tree with a trunk that only reached her nose. A large hole, resembling a doorway, came up to her chest. Inside, she heard rustling and giggling. She bent down cautiously and called, "Hello?"

A boy stepped out, wearing a ridiculous costume that made him look like a fox. Tam stifled a giggle. "Hello," the boy said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tam," she told him. "Um…who are you?"

"I'm a Lost Boy," the boy informed her.

--

The sun, filtering through the brilliant green leaves above, woke Akil from his unconscious state. He groaned, shielding his face and sitting up.

"Where…?" Looking around, Akil discovered he was lying on soft green moss and ferns, underneath tall, sturdy trees. Blinking his blue eyes, he pushed himself off of the ground and patted himself, making absolutely sure he wasn't injured. Nothing seemed to hurt, so he began to wander through the trees. All were immensely tall, and sported vibrantly green leaves that seemed to glow with life. Curious, Akil placed his hand gently on the bark of the one nearest him.

The tree shuddered slightly, its leaves shaking into a gentle rustling.

_Hello, treeling._ Akil frowned slightly.

_Hello, elder. Why do you call me by a name I do not answer to? _

Silently, the great tree replied, _You have spoken to me. Are you not a treeling? _

Akil opened his eyes, baffled. _No_. Taking his hand back to himself, the green sparkle dying, Akil walked on. He crossed a small stream, so clear and blue he could see the tiny silver fish swim through it, and past a stunted tree. He kept going, determined to find a place he might be able to see where he had been transported, for nothing was familiar, and the landscape did not even slightly resemble Africa. Yet Akil was not afraid, for a calm had settled upon him as he walked amongst the trees.

After a good while, the trees abruptly ended, and a short span of soft green grasses led to a steep cliff. Akil approached the edge and lay down, peering over. Below, blue water sparkled in the bright sunlight, clear and deep. A small island lay several meters out, its craggy top thrusting out of the waves. When Akil stood up and looked about him, he could see that he had climbed a small hill, and could see a fair distance around him.

To his right, a ways off, a yellow beach stretched along the shoreline until it curved out of sight around the other side of the island, for Akil believed this strange place to indeed be that. The forest stretched a ways off, over rolling hills, until it reached a plains of sorts, then the taller hills cut off his sight. A small ways over, a peninsula, rising into a tall hill, seemed to sport dwellings of some sort. Teepees? Akil thought. Smoke was rising from what he assumed was a campfire.

Akil decided that wherever he was, he probably needed to talk to a person who could tell him what was what. And so he started toward the settlement.

--

Samoso awoke to the sound of splashing. He felt a cool liquid hit his face on several occasions until he allowed his eyes to flutter open.

At first all he saw was blue, and wisps of white. He realized he was lying on his back, looking at the sky above. Whatever he was lying on was soft and gave when he moved. He clenched his hand and tiny grains slipped out of his grip.

The splashing never stopped, so at last he turned over towards the sound. What he saw astounded and confused him at the same time.

Vibrantly colored tales splashed in the blue water. But at the same time, he saw three young women, but only their top halves. They seemed to stop at the waist and give way to tails. It was really an odd sight.

All three were looking straight at him expectantly, causing Sam to blush. Finally one swam over to the water's edge and said, "Hello." He blushed more fiercely, being able to see her up close. He may have been thirteen, but seeing a woman so scantily clad as she certainly embarrassed him. What should he do?

"Hi," he said back, hit voice slightly hoarse. "Where am I?"

The three women giggled. The second and third also swam up to where Sam was laying. "The Mermaids' Lagoon, silly! Where did you think you were?"

He blinked, amazed. "Where…?"

They looked at him critically for a moment. "The Mermaids' Lagoon. In Neverland," one said slowly, as if speaking to an idiot.

Sam blinked again. "Neverland! I'm home!" he cried joyfully, jumping up.

The mermaids looked at him once more, this time confused, but decided to once more slip into the water and out of sight.

Once the sheer joy of being in Neverland again sunk in, he stopped to take his bearings. He had never been to the Mermaids' Lagoon before, so he had no idea where anything else was.

Sam called to the mermaids again, hoping they'd come up and answer his question. Luckily, the three of them surfaced again. "Yes?" they asked at the same time.

"Could you maybe tell me how to get to the Indian Camp from here, please?" he asked them. From there, he knew how to get everywhere else on the island.

"It's just over the creek and through the forest," one of them giggled, pointing behind him.

"Oh, I see. Thank you," he told them, blushing again.

"Good-bye!" the mermaids called as he turned around and set off towards his favorite place in Neverland.

He spent a good part of the next hour trekking across the island, first crossing over the aforementioned creek, and then finally reaching the forest. There he considered stopping to rest, wondering just how far he had traveled. Not paying attention to where he was going, Sam almost tripped over two long brown legs stretched out across the ground.

"Hello?" The boy on the ground looked up, clear blue eyes meeting Sam's bright purple ones.

"I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" Akil smiled a wide, friendly smile.

"N-no. I just didn't see you there. Who are you?"

"Akil. You?"

"Sam. Well, actually, my name is Samoso. But you can call me Sam."

"Alright. What are you doing in this very strange place?" Akil asked.

"This is my home. But for years I was sent to live elsewhere." Sam grimaced. "I didn't like it there at all. Why are you here?"

"I just…came. I'm not quite sure how. I was wandering the plains by myself and suddenly…I am here."

"Plains? Alone? Why alone?"

"Watch." Akil put his hand over a small leaf. Slowly, green light sparkled down his arm, and the leaf began to grow. It grew up and up, until a mighty redwood stood in its place.

"You can make things grow!" exclaimed Sam. "I was born here, so I have weird colored skin and stuff, but I can only heal."

"I love my power, but my tribe was scared of it. They threw me into the desert, hoping I would die. But the cacti there helped me. Giving my water and nourishing milk from their bodies." Sam felt sorry for Ali.

"Want to come with me? I'm heading to the Indian Camp. You look like you would like a friend." Sam asked.

"Sure, why not."

And so the unlikely duo trudged off towards the coast.

--

JT: Yay for the eventual meeting of Akil and Sam! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Once again, I'd like to remind you to review. Because when you review, you're cool. And when you don't, you're not.

AF: New penname wh-hoo! That's why it was SD the first time, just 'cause I know some people need the announcement. The ever-awesome Jem never needs a screen name change pbbbth :P. So it's the new chapter, yeah. What Jem said Review!!. My back hurts because of the damn laptop, so you better be appreciating my work! Just kidding except about the back part…owww. C ya!


End file.
